Hi no Shinzo
by bookaholic24
Summary: Karin on trial in the Soul Society? Yoruichi her lawyer? What? Why? When? And why does Mayuri want to experiment on the poor girl? Find out in Karin's Excellent Adventure! No flames! Please R&R & I own nothing!
1. Chapter 1

"This is the trial of Karin Kurosaki," a booming voice echoed through the office. Captains were lined up parallel to each other, a young girl standing in the center, hands chained and kido holding her in place. Dark hair covered her face, shinigami robes billowing around her form, empty sheath strapped to a hunched back.

_Oh shit_, was Karin's only thought before cursing Urahara with every four letter word she knew. This was all _his_ fault.

Flashback_

Kick. Walk. Kick. Walk. Kick Walk. Karin followed the rhythm, toeing a little rock down the street. Her backpack clunked against her back, full of useless books. The uniform she wore was a sailor fuko, making her subconsciously pluck at the skirt with a scowl of anger. Kick. Walk. Kick. Walk.

It was late afternoon, the sky several shades of beautiful. Oranges spilled into pinks that floated into violets, a pretty setting that would make anyone stop and stare. But Karin Kurosaki was not anyone right now. Right now, she was a pissed off teenager.

That day had started with her alarm clock not going off and Yuzu waking her up ten minutes before school began. Of course, the little brunette twin was not to blame, she had been trying to wake up her better half for ten minutes before that.

So, Karin had run around the house at top speed, getting ready with time to spare. Which was good since the middle child got stuck behind a couple in the hallway that made her late for class, stupid PDA. Mr. Honda wouldn't listen to her though. She caught up on sleep in detention.

And now, Karin was walking home. Usually, the avid soccer player would be playing with her friends, but detention had run so long that the wimps had stopped. When she arrived, the field was empty. Worst of all, her soccer ball had gone missing. Perfect.

So, now the fuming teen was making her way home, where a screaming father probably waited. This was her third detention. At least it hadn't been because she threw a beaker at anyone…this time. Really, teachers should be able to teach, not just-

A rumble tore Karin from her thoughts. Spinning around, she felt a small pulsing of power coming from around the corner. Without another thought, the young Kurosaki sped of, rounding the corner with a determined expression. Pausing, she looked at the thing in front of her, wondering how the hell she could take it down.

The hollow was huge. It looked like a blob of black with a white mask in the middle. Walls surrounded the sides of the street, blocking anyone's view onto the deserted path. But at that moment, the monster was baring down on a child, curled up in the fetal position, shaking. Anger coursed through Karin.

Bending over, the girl scooped up a few loose rocks from the road. Weighing them in her small hands, she separated a large jagged one from the bunch. Swinging back her arm, she heaved it forward with all her strength, putting power into it. Playing soccer didn't mean you had a bad arm, it just meant you didn't use your hands a lot. And Karin's aim was true.

With a roar, the hollow turned to his challenger. Another rock flew through the air, slamming into it's mask, cracking it down the middle. Another roar. The thing was charging now. The petite teen stood her ground. As the thing approached, Karin dodged out of the way. Trying to run toward the still curled up child, a sting of pain went up her arm, making a hiss escape stiff lips. With a jerk, her movement was halted.

The hollow growled, a shadow tentacle wrapped around his attackers arm. With another jerk, it brought the raven haired female closer, drooling at the potential of consuming so much reiatsu. But the chance never came.

Karin had enough, it was time to go. As the hollow leaned down, she tried to squirm away from the grip. And then she felt it, that spike of pain as something pushed around in her arm. The bastard had stabbed her, digging it's claws into her flesh.

A lump formed in the girl's throat, holding in a scream as her right arm went numb with pain. Mind writhing in burning agony, she ignored it.. The hollow was too close by now, she had to do something.

Screwing up her courage, Karin twisted around to face the thing. A sweaty rock was gripped in her left hand. She threw it. The hollow brushed aside the hit easily. Sucking in a breath, Karin moved into action. As the thing's face bent down to her level, she realized the mask was about her height. Pulling back her foot, the small female put all her power into the kick, sending it flying at the monster.

With a screech of pain, the white mask shattered, destroying the nightmare. So simple. But practice made perfect, and the soccer player knew that too well. This was the fourth hollow she took out that week.

Another shot of pain as the sound of dripping came to alert ears. Raven hair fell to the side as a head glanced down. The gray uniform was ruined. Three punctures were made in the fabric, blood spilling out of the lightly muscled biceps. Blood dripped from delicate fingers, falling on the cement to leave even more stains. Great, and that was her last uniform.

Sniffling caught Karin's attention as she mentally bemoaned the stains her life's blood was making. She turned to the child, still sitting on the ground, eyes wide. His lips trembled, brown hair sticking up in odd places. He was sorta cute, in a vulnerable helpless way.

"Ar-Are you okay, lady?" the kid stammered out. He looked no more than nine. And already seeing hollows, like Ichigo, Karin thought sadly. She wondered if he'd grow up like her brother, seeing things no one else did, always unhappy, always leaving.

"Fine," was her simple response. "You should get home, to your family. They're probably worried sick." Kami knew she was. Ichi-nii couldn't see hollows anymore, but that didn't stop him from getting involved with a whole other adventure. If only there was a way for her to eradicate everything dangerous from the world so he wouldn't keep searching for trouble. But that was impossible. All Karin could hope for was her family's safety.

The little boy just nodded, though, scampering off a second later. Karin just watched the sun set, her wound matching the sky. A white sheet seemed to cover her mind, no thoughts, just quiet.

"My," a voice spoke from behind the transfixed girl. "You do have a way with children." Karin didn't turn around, she knew who it was. "I told you, if you needed any help, at all, come to me." The last words were spoken softly, concern laced under the usually happy tone.

The Kurosaki turned around. "I'm fine." Her voice was firm as she stared at the shopkeeper, a small black cat sitting on the wall behind him. "Your hollow repellent is the thing that's not working. If anything, it's attracting more of them." A scowl formed on the wounded girl's face as her vision began to blur.

The cat perked up, pouncing down to the pair. "Your reiatsu is what brings them, it's like an all you can eat buffet with no end in sight." The animal calmly watched as the child stumbled forward, color drained from her tan face. "But that isn't important. You need to be bandaged up, then we'll talk." As the strange creature finished her speech, the teen lurched forward, hand pressed to the still bleeding wound.

"I'm fine," Karin whispered, eyelids dropping as her stomach churned. The world was slanting in odd directions, why couldn't it just stand still?

Urahara snorted. "Sure, kid," he responded.

Before his injured companion could complain, the ex shinigami scooped her up bridal style. A growl of complaint was all that came before she passed out. Kisuke scrunched up his nose. "Aw man, she's getting blood on my clothes." Yoruichi rolled her eyes before the two shunpo'd away.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thanks for the reviews, much appreciated. So, I wrote a lot actually, and this is the other part of it. Forgive any OOCness, I'm not good at making a serious Yoruichi. Hope you like and please R&R.

Disclaimer: *I own nothing* Kenpachi approves this message.

_Fire._

_ It burned. _

_ It cackled in joy._

_ It washed around everything._

_ Pain everywhere, never ending._

_ Ashes float from a dark sky, distant, unreachable. _

_ Orange and red edged the horizon, so close, just… one… more…._

Karin shot up like a bullet, underarms damp with sweat. Pressing her hands to her temples, nerves registered a burning heat. She gasped, taking her fingers from the hot skin. _What was that?_ She wondered numbly, staring at her thin fingers. It felt like her skin was…on fire, literally. No, that wasn't possible, she probably just broke a fever or something, after all the fight with the hollow had weakened…

The fight with the hollow! Reaching to her right bicep, Karin felt thick bandages covering the throbbing wound. At least it had stopped bleeding. Now where was that pesky shopkeeper….

"Finally awake, I see," a familiar voice spoke from the doorway. "Wow, is it hot in here? I'll have to speak with Tessai about repairing the AC." The blond fanned himself as heat washed over him. "Oh, I see you like my handiwork, I'm flattered." Urahara hid behind his fan mock bashfully.

The wounded teen glanced at her bicep, numbly realizing she was wearing only a wrap around her chest. "I was only injured on my arm…" she trailed off, drowsy mind finally connecting. "You little pervert!"

A shriek could be heard throughout the shop, no one knew who's it was though.

Tessai winced from his position at the counter. A crash quickly followed, the big man flinched again. Apparently his friend had gotten himself in another fix. Leaving his place, the huge ex shinigami rushed to the back room, hoping to stop a murder. Again.

"Calm…down…Kurosaki," Kisuke gasped out, speech being impeded by the girl strangling him. "Yoruichi…did it." The onslaught didn't stop, another knee to the groin. "Tessai," the man whimpered, eyes rolling to his companion.

Sighing, the bigger man plucked the child off his friend. She didn't struggle, just glared at the blond panting on the floor. Luckily, a skirt still covered her lower half, making the situation a little less awkward. "Your friends are perverts," he heard the captive grumble.

Tessai sighed dejectedly. "I know." Yoruichi came in at that moment, not even bating an eye at her comrade still whimpering on the floor, clutching, what he considered, to be a vital part of the male body. "I'll go make something to eat, you must be hungry," the big man suggested, dropping Karin.

Yoruichi beamed happily at her friend's words, allowing him to leave for the kitchen. Turning back to her two other companions, the woman finally seemed to notice the man curled up on the floor. "Get up Kisuke, now's not the time to be playing around." A moan was all she got. "Fine, I'll talk to her, wimp." Grumbling, the purple haired female turned to Karin, brow arched.

The teen scowled. "What?" she demanded.

"First things first," Yoruichi stated calmly. "Let's get your reiatsu under control. Hopefully you'll do better than your brother." The kid still couldn't control his.

Karin stared at the woman warily. "What are you talking about? What's reiatsu?" These people were weird, Kisuke she'd gotten used to, his friends…not so much.

Delicate brows furrowed. "Has Ichigo told you anything?" A shrug in response. "That little idiot," the were-woman growled exasperatedly. "With the amount of reiatsu you have, you'd think he would have sent you to us a long time ago. But it doesn't matter. You still need some form of training." Another shrug from Yoruichi, an air of nonchalance around her.

Back stiffened, an angry voice spoke. "Who said I want training?" it demanded.

"You do want to protect Karakura town from the hollows, don't you?" Yoruichi asked, eyes narrowed. "Why else have you been patrolling?"

Karin scowled. "I don't patrol, those monsters keep coming after me, I'm just making sure they don't hurt anybody. Ichigo's the hero in this town, not me." It was true, for all her brother tried to hide his activities, his sister knew what he was and what he did…and the fact he couldn't see anymore.

Yellow eyes narrowed dangerously. "He was, Ichigo was the best I've seen for a while. He had a purpose and he was strong. You might never equal up to him, but your close and this town needs a new protector while he's out of action. I don't care if you don't want to, I won't force you. But I do want you to learn to control that power of yours….Don't deny it, anyone with an ounce of spiritual awareness can sense the reiatsu coming off you." Karin's mouth clicked shut. "You want to protect your family?" A nod. "Then control that power of yours and that will do worlds of good. Right now, you're the main attraction for the hollows, you're the one bringing dozens to this town."

Several beats of silence fell between the two. Yoruichi waited, she had made her point and she'd stick by it. The kid had so much potential, and, being a cat, Yoruichi wanted to see what would come of it, curious. (Kisuke would say it'd kill her someday, then he'd have a dent in his face for a week.)

Besides, if another big attack came, Orihme, Chad and the others wouldn't be able to handle it. With the amount of reiatsu coming from the girl in front of her, the ex captain knew the kid could kick whoever it is to next week and back again. If she was trained.

"Ok," a mutter reached the waiting ears of Yoruichi. A slow smile spread across her face, more like a Cheshire cat than ever. "But," Karin started warningly. "You can't tell Ichi-nii."

Yoruichi snorted derisively. "That's a given, kitten." An eye roll at the nickname, and she continued. "Now, I'm Yoruichi-sensei and your lessons start now." And without warning, the woman pounced.


	3. Chapter 3

"Too slow," a taunting voice called playfully across the rocky landscape.

A flash of color. "Or not," another voice joined the first. Yoruichi's yellow eyes narrowed as she sensed a presence behind her. The littlest bit of reiatsu gave the kid away.

"Not quiet enough." Another flash of clothes, and the woman was gone, on the other side of the training room. "Mask yourself better."

"I'm trying," Karin grumbled from her side of the room, perched atop a mass of rocks. So far, she had several bruises, from her teacher. They weren't bad, just reminders not to let her guard down. The lessons for controlling her reiatsu had progressed to fighting and using some of her spiritual powers in dangerous situations.

It had become a daily thing to meet Yoruichi for lessons after supper. After a while of only learning to control herself, Karin had become bored and asked to be taught shunpo, her teacher was only too happy to show her. The young girl had progressed quickly, emotionally and physically.

Yoruichi watched patiently as her student tried to block up her over pouring power. _This would be much easier in soul form_. The thought just passed through her mind, it wasn't even a direct one. But for some reason, she found herself in front of the raven haired girl, shoving her spirit out.

Karin gasped in surprise as a jerk rippled through her whole being. One second she was staring at a blank eyed Yoruichi, the next, her own lifeless body. Oh no she didn't. A scowl fell into place, ready to let the woman have it.

But, looking down, the teen felt her heart stop. Black robes billowed around her petite form, something strapped to her back, like Ichigo. No, no, she was not like her brother. Karin's mind rejected the idea. Ichi-nii was a shinigami, a hero, a protector, a liar, a deserter, not her, never her. Karin was just the little sister who gave snarky comments, nothing else.

Anger flared through Karin as stormy eyes rose to her sensei's.

"Interesting," a voice cut through the charged air. Both females' heads shot to the ladder. Urahara was next to them in a flash, literally. "You didn't even need interference from shinigami powers. Hmmm," the man hummed as he stared at the young girl.

"Put me back," Karin ground out, eyes aflame. "I told you, I'm not my brother." And then there was that shred of doubt again, but it was different this time. The middle Kurosaki felt more comfortable in her spirit form than her own flesh and blood. It felt like she was meant to be that way, not the other way around.

_That's because you're supposed to, idiot_. Karin jumped at the little voice whispering at the back of her mind. Great, now she was going crazy.

Kisuke kept a steady eye on the girl. "Are you sure?" he finally asked, expression hooded by the hat sitting on his head.

No, the teen thought.

"Karin," Yoruichi spoke up, voice soft. "I apologize, but my curiosity got the better of me." A beat of silence. "Just remember, this decision is yours, and we will be there for you the whole way." The hard woman smiled gently at her pupil. It seemed like the two had been biding their time until this one moment, until Karin was ready to face herself.

"J-Just let me think about it, okay?" a quiet voice whispered from under a shadow of a face.

^*&&^%^$%!#$$^%&^&(*)*)_((*)_*(&(^^&%#%$#!#%$$*^())&*(

White pieces of a mask clattered to the ground. Karin panted slightly. Another thing to add to her pro con list, it would be easier to defeat hollows in spirit form. Especially with a sword. Katana, whatever. Seriously, they needed to just give weapons a general name, it was really annoying memorizing all the differen-

A whimper came from behind the out of breath teen. Whipping around, Karin realized she had a guest. A young girl stood before her, light brown eyes filled with tears, two blond pigtails hanging from her head, a chain sprouting from her little chest. The small child looked no more than seven. Karin's heart ached.

"Th-thank you," the tiny spirit stuttered out. The playground backed her, a jungle gym empty, swings creaking ominously. Creepy much? "Are you a soul reaper?" The question caught the raven haired Kurosaki off guard. "Other spirits keep telling me about them, saying they help us to heaven." A hopeful looked spread across the girl's face.

"I'm sorry, I'm not." Karin's heart hurt worse as the small face fell.

"It's okay," the child assured, "it just gets lonely sometimes and I want to see Mama again." The admission was whispered and sad.

Karin felt something jerk at her emotions. "What's your name?" she asked gently, trying for the natural kindness of Yuzu. It didn't work.

The kid perked up slightly, though. "Mai," she responded happily.

A smile spread across the elder's face. "Pretty name, I'm Karin." She paused, thinking for a second. "How about this Mai, right now I'm working on becoming a Soul Reaper, but I don't have many friends that can hang out this late. Why don't I come by after training and we can play?" A lump formed in her throat as Mai beamed joyously. Maybe this was why Ichigo became a shinigami.

"Oh that'll be so much fun." Like a child, the kid forgot her worries, content with a new friend."Thank you Karin." Mai kept on chattering away about the fun they'd have. A warm feeling spread in Karin's chest, apparently she wasn't immune to maternal feelings, or maybe it was that other half of Yuzu that was always linked. Either way, it felt good.

A smile spread across the new soul reaper's face. But a beeping interrupted the happy moment. Karin glanced at her watch, it was half past ten, that was probably old goat face calling. Sighing, the raven haired teen said farewell to her new friend and headed home.

#$#$%^&%(*)(*)_*(&(*^&%$^#$%#!$%&%&^(*)_(+()_*(()&*&^&%$

The next day, the middle Kurosaki arrived at the shop early. Skipping greetings, Karin walked up to Yoruichi and bowed. "Please teach me, sensei." Urahara had never seen his friend so excited. Oh Kami, help the poor kid.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Two updates in one day? Oh my! Well, I have been sitting on this for awhile so a lot has already been written...so yeah. Advance apologies if I mad Yamamoto to soft in this, but I had to to get Karin into the Seretei, also, sorry for more serious chapters, the next couple will be more light. Hope you all enjoy:D

Disclaimer: Pooie!

Toshiro: Say it.

Me: Okay, okay...I love you Gin!

Toshiro: Not that you idiot!

Me:...Well poop on you...I own nothing, if I did my favorite creeper would still be alive...

* * *

><p>And that's how it was Urahara's fault Karin Kurosaki was on trial in the Soul Society, missing an amazing dinner made by her sister.<p>

About a month after her official training had started, the Soul Society had gotten wind of a new shinigami in Karakura town. They sent out Sui Feng. Karin had no chance.

But it didn't matter, Kisuke had made a contingency plan for this situation. If the Gotei came after his pupil, than she was to surrender immediately, no matter how much she wished to kick their asses. Before doing so, of course, Karin had to send a signal. Flaring her reiatsu three times did the charm and Yoruichi was on her way to the gate.

Unfortunately, it seemed the young shinigami's sensei had been side tracked. So now she was stuck on trial, captains and lieutenants watching her with calculating eyes.

"You are accused of acting as a shinigami without the Soul Society's knowledge and performing spirit burials. Do you deny this Kurosaki?" The old guy at the front of the room had been asking stupid questions for what seemed like hours. It got really annoying after awhile.

So, Karin did what she did best, aggravate people. "I don't deny my nose is itchy. Hey, you, shorty." A boy with white hair glanced at her, cool eyes narrowed. "Can you itch it for me? Oh, woops, you can't reach can you?" That elicited a chuckle from the blond behind him. Hiyori had been such a bad influence on the girl.

"I am Hitsugaya taichou," the kid ground out. "And you will show me respect." Surprise, surprise.

Her grey eyes grew wide with mock shock. "Whoa, they let an elementary schooler be a captain?" A vein throbbed in her victims head. "Aw, someone need a nap?" Ah, the gushy voice, Karin's personal favorite.

This time the snort came from a large man with spiky hair, a pink haired girl clinging to his back who waved happily at the captive. "Feisty one, ain't she?" the man growled.

"More like annoying," the short captain grumbled, scowling at the ryoka. "Can we just get this over with, I have paper work to do." A glare was shot at his fukotaichou, who looked anywhere but at Hitsugaya.

Yamamoto patiently waited until his subordinates were done. "Now then, does anybody have suggestions for this child's punishment?" Shuffling some papers, he continued gruffly, "I have decided to leave it in your hands." Everyone blinked in surprise, apparently the old man was in a good mood. Even more surprises.

A sniveling voice cut through the silence. "I believe research into this phenomena would be the most productive," the 12th division captain spoke up, eyes glinting evilly. Several shuddered.

"That would be an inhumane punishment," Byakuya stated calmly.

Mayuri's expression became enraged. "No it wouldn't, she'd be treated fairly and well taken care of. Just a few experiments…." A limb cut off here and there, maybe a tube bedroom for a little bit, nothing important.

"No," Ukitake said firmly, glancing at the child, who seemed bored by the proceedings, head lolled to the side as she stared at the ceiling. Actually, she looked like she was counting, for what, no one knew.

Kenpachi's mouth opened, a blood thirsty grin in place, and the doors burst open. Thank Kami.

A blur of purple and orange flashed to the side of their captive. Another flash of movement and the restraining kido was removed. Karin calmly broke the chains on her wrists, the metal bent. Yoruichi placed something long and curved in her pupil's hands. "Ten thousand three hundred forty three seconds," the girl recited, sheathing her zanpakuto, the red hilt sticking out over the left shoulder. "What took so long?"

The older woman rolled her yellow eyes. "Sui Feng's securities gotten better." A nod was traded between the two captains of division two. "Now, what's going on?" she whispered to her student.

Karin leaned in conspiratorially. "Their deciding my fate. Apparently I can't go back to the real world and continue defeating the hollows they don't." The young girl's voice rose at the end of the sentence, pointedly glaring at the captains.

Yoruichi rolled her eyes again. "I see you've been getting along fabulously." It was just her luck that all her students got on the Soul Society's bad side.

"Yorucihi," a cool voice interrupted the pair's whispered conversation. "Do you know this child?"

The ex shinigami turned to the voice, grin spreading impishly. "Byakuya! Long time no see. Yeah, this is my new pupil, Kurosaki Karin, Ichigo's little sister. You know, that kid that saved all your asses…oh, how many times again?" Her face and tone were catty, daring for anyone to disagree with her. Kenpachi perked up quickly, watching the captive more interestedly.

"We were unaware of that piece of information," Hitsugaya responded coolly. Was it just Karin, or did it just get colder?

Karin glared at the kid. Now that she was out of her bind, it turned out he was at least an inch taller than her, crap. "You never asked," she grumbled. Her teacher shot a look in the girl's direction. "What? I don't like pulling the 'my brother saved the world' card, okay?" Really, he wasn't that great, never coming home, making Yuzu cry herself to sleep.

"It does not matter," the soutaichou spoke loudly. "We still must decide on her punishment. Ichigo Kurosaki is no longer useful to our cause, but he did do us a great service and I am willing to veto the death penalty on his sister for that. But we must ensure that she is punished or no longer uses her powers without our knowledge." Yoruichi almost cried with joy at the obvious opening the old man gave her. Maybe he had a soft spot for Karin? Psh, who would?

The were-woman stared at Yamamoto seriously. "What about this, sir? Karin becomes a substitute soul reaper in the living world, she can replace Ichigo. Simple." The room fell silent, waiting with batted breath.

Yamamoto looked at the ryoka with squinted eyes. "That would be fair," a sigh of relief, a few curses(Toshiro), "but she must be trained in the Soul Society. This young Kurosaki must be different from her brother. She must go through the academy first and be trained by our captains, so she understands her duties." A glint of glee from the 12th and a suppressed groan from the 10th captain.

"No!" Karin yelled, eyes wide with disbelief. "No way, I'm not deserting my world to train here, that's just stupid. There'd be no point in me then."

A small groan escaped Yoruichi's pursed lips. "Karin," she hissed. "Shut up." The teen had the gall to look offended.

"You do not like that option," the old man's voice rumbled. "Then the only other reasonable penalty is memory removal. Every memory of training or shinigami will be wiped from your mind, replaced with false human ones. Would you prefer that?"

"That includes any memories of Ichigo and his shinigami powers," Karin's teacher whispered, yellow eyes burning into the young woman. "Do you want that, Kurosaki?" A pin drop could have been heard.

Stormy grey eyes flashed between the shinigami in the room. She gulped, mouth dry. "No," she responded hoarsely. Her gaze fell on the woman she admired most in the world, desperate. "But I don't want to be like Ichi-nii, always leaving us, always hiding things, always making Yuzu cry." The last part was whispered.

Pity flashed in Yoruichi's eyes, before remembering her pupil hated the emotion with a burning passion. Calm as a cat, the woman turned to the other end of the long room, staring at the old man at the desk. "I believe my student will accept your first offer," a hiss from beside her. "On certain conditions."

The soutaichou nodded his head in a gesture of continuation. "Karin is allowed to leave and visit her family monthly, the Kurosaki's will be notified of the situation, and she will return in eighteen months at most."

"Those conditions are reasonable enough," Yamamoto agreed. "This hearing is adjourned."


	5. Chapter 5

AN: OKAY! Next chapter, sorry this took awhile, I'm trying to have at least another chapter before I post the next one, for organization and what not (also, I'm a hardcore procrastinator.) Thanks for all the reviews, they were much appreciated.

Now, I'll answer a question, to Aurora Marija, sorry I didn't mention it before, but I'm basing this in the manga kinda, and, sadly, Toshiro and Karin have yet to meet each other (trust me, I was depressed when I found that out. I wanna hug Tite Kubo and pout at him at the same time -sigh-.) Oh, and I thought I put a line, but I'll fix it, thanks for telling me.

Also, thanks to Forbidden-Hanyou, who reviewed all my chapters, you're awesome!

Okay, author babbling over now, hope you like this chapter, R&R, and hug a tree.

Disclaimer: Me: Yeah, I own Ble- ow, stop kicking soccer balls at me! Oh, all right...sigh, I don't own anything.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&**********************((

"You will stay in the Shihoin compound, of course." Those words resonated through the young shinigami's mind as she stared in awe. Before Karin was a large house, quietly elegant, with a large courtyard in front of it. A tall, stone wall surrounded it, never seeming to end as the land went on and on. The place was huge, truly an estate. Karin couldn't wait.

The shifting of weight brought the young woman back to reality. Clutching her soccer ball to her petite chest, Karin hefted her bag on her shoulder, walking forward, through the stone courtyard. Only extremely keen ears could catch the sound of lightly pattering feet following. After the long walk of silence, Karin stopped at the front of the massive building, a wooden porch under her. She quickly glanced at her escorts, biting her lip with nerves.

One of the men in black seemed to take pity on her. "This compound has been empty for several years, Shihoin Yoruichi-sama is the last blood relation of the noble family alive. Her father passed in the last war and her mother quickly followed." His speech was monotone. "We did use it as a training ground before, as well."

"Thanks," the shorter of the three murmured, eyes swiveling around as she walked to the doors. They slid open with ease, unlocked.

Sticking her head into the building, Karin's body followed. The place was almost as big as the outside. The main room was giant, with a high ceiling. Servants had obviously cleaned the place recently, every surface was spotless, not dusty as expected.

But, the whole estate seemed oddly empty. To the Kurosaki, it was odd to step into a home and not be assaulted by a blubbering father, or any noise at all. It sent a shiver through her body. No doubt it had been much more livelier in her teacher's youth, but now it seemed dead.

"Kurosaki-sama?" a voice asked.

Jumping, the young girl remembered she wasn't alone. With a sheepish grin, she turned to her two escorts. "Sorry, yeah?" It really annoyed her that all they showed were their eyes, she couldn't tell what they were thinking.

_Probably that you're a bumbling oaf_, that annoying double voice spoke.

_Shut up, Hi no Shinzo_, the shinigami shot back. Heart of the Fire, perfect name for the zanpakuto, considering she liked to trash talk all the other zanpakuto. Urahara said that his own sword had been scarred for ever after he fought Karin, refusing to let his 'baby' near Hi no Shinzo again.

"Is everything to your liking?" the man's voice interrupted a thought pattern again. "Servants will be in and out for cleaning and caring for the grounds, a cook will provide breakfast and dinner as well." The two men patiently waited for a response.

"Everything's cool," Karin spoke finally. "But," she added, a devilish grin on her face. "I have a request, if that's okay?"

Cloth covered faces turned to each other, a shrug was exchanged. Sui Feng had said to accommodate the child, since she'd be getting the crap beaten out of her every day. "Go on," the quieter of the two muttered.

"Start using this place for training again." The request was simple, but the two Stealth Force members looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Hey, it's gonna get lonely here and I know Yoruichi would want it this way. If she knew you guys were wasting an awesome training ground like this, she'd be pissed and kick you into next week. So use it, that's all." And without another word, the teen walked away, dribbling the strange ball ahead of her.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^%%%%%%%%%%%&&

First days. Yep, they suck. Everyone stares at you, whispers, points, oh, and the after school teachers make you run twenty laps then fight them. Oh, wait, that's just Karin. She was really not looking forward to science class either. Crazy guy who likes to do experiments on people plus an anomaly girl equals nothing good. Yay for math, the one class she didn't have.

Right then, the middle Kurosaki was dragging herself to the tenth division. The day hadn't gone so well. It started easy enough, though.

First thing, Karin went to the academy and took a few shinigami classes on ideology and history. Then she was sent to the first division to be told her schedule for the rest of the day. First period was second division with the Stealth Force training her in, well, stealth and endurance. Sui Feng was a brutal task master.

Second period was fourth division for healing and kido lessons, those weren't going well on the healing front. Unohana had promised they'd start making things go boom soon, though, so Karin was satisfied.

Third period, ninth division, where she was taught about arts and culture for a little while, going over a few reports for future reference as well. And, lastly, was introduced to the wall, which they patrolled.

Fourth period, tenth division, which she was heading to now. Lastly was the eleventh. In between her lessons, Karin had been instructed to visit with each captain, giving them reports about her previous lesson as a practice for future reports. All in all, a pretty tiring day.

So, tenth division, get ready.

A few minutes of trudging down paths, past staring people, and Karin arrived at the barracks. Passing through the unlocked doors, she made a beeline for the place where the most reiatsu was emanating. Arriving at a wooden door, the tired girl heard an aggravated growl through the wood. Without another thought, she pushed it open, entering the office.

Blinking, the young teen took in the scene before her. The boy with white hair from her trial stood behind a desk, glaring at the blond who was his lieutenant. The woman cowered behind a sofa, it's cushions over pouring with papers. As the door swung shut, the two turned to Karin quickly.

A grin spread across the woman's face. "Witnesses!" she declared happily. "You can't kill me with witnesses around, taichou." The boy just scowled, plopping back into his seat, filling out more papers. Karin watched calmly as the young man zipped through a small stack of reports. Great, he'd probably have her doing busy work.

"Hi there," a perky voice greeted. Karin turned back to the lieutenant who had bounded over to her. "I'm Matsumoto Rangiku, tenth division lieutenant." Well, Rangiku had never heard of personal space apparently, was the immediate thought, as she leaned in close to the guest.

"Kurosaki Karin," the girl responded, offering a hand. Rangiku ignored it, instead going in for the kill. The poor kid was immersed in Boob Mountain without warning. "Can't breath," she gasped out, airways cut off.

"You are so adorable," Matsumoto exclaimed.

"Let go of the child, Rangiku," a cool voice spoke up. "We can't hide the body, and Kurosaki will kill us all." Thank Kami for merciful taichous.

Matsumoto pouted, letting Karin go. "Aw, taichou, you never let me have any fun. I was just hugging the girl. She's so cute," the woman squealed. " I can't wait to go shopping. I know some outfits that would be absolutely adorable on you." Grey eyes widened in horror at the words.

"You used up your budget for this month," the captain reminded calmly, not looking up. "We need to get to her lesson anyway. I'll need you to do some paper work while I'm with her, Matsumoto. If you do it, I'll raise your shopping budget." Karin blinked in surprise as the woman appeared at the captain's desk, sitting in the boy's now vacated seat. A pen was poised in her hand, face scrunched up in concentration.

Without a word, the boy plucked his zanpakuto up and walked over to his newest pupil. "Hitsugaya Toshiro," he introduced himself seriously, staring down at Karin.

A grin spread across the new shinigami's face. "Hey, shorty," she answered.

Vein throbbing in his head, the white haired kid corrected quietly, "Hitsugaya-taichou, Kurosaki." The last word was spit out coldly.

Karin bristled. "It's Karin, not Kurosaki." A giggle came from the desk. "Now, let's get this over with before I actually die." Yeah, bad joke, she knew. "What're we doing anyways?"

Toshiro took a breath before continuing coolly. "I have been instructed to help you with your shikia and bankai," he murmured stoically. "Now-"

"I already achieved shikai," Karin cut her teacher off smoothly. "Although my second form is shaky, my first is awesome." A pleased grin formed on the child's face at the thought of her accomplishment. Yoruichi had said it was one of the most potent shikai, taking out an enemy with ease. Too bad it destroyed too much, as well.

The white haired captain blinked in surprise. Covering the unbidden emotion quickly, he displayed a cool manner of slight interest. "Then you won't mind showing it to me."

A nervous look spread across Karin's face. "Ah, well, about that, you see, my shikia is very uh…destructive, like, it destroys anything within a hundred foot radius and then spreads." Letting out a nervous chuckle, she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly, ponytail bobbing.

"Then we'll go to the drier area, away from the Seretei," was the simple response. "Can you shunpo?" The younger teen blinked before nodding, a pleased grin spreading. "Good, follow me." Toshiro was off, Karin hot on his heels. Oh, she just couldn't wait to let Hi no Shinzo out.

_Oh yeah, let's destroy some stuff!_ a gleeful voice echoed in Karin's mind.

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, sorry, one last thing to sayo-chan64, on Karin's kido.<p>

So, ignore the fact that her healing kido isn't good, please, she will be way better than Ichigo in that area, but more with fighting type kido and restraining (like Rukia). I want to save healing kido for Yuzu, you know? Like one twin is kicking ass while the other fixes all the messes she made of her opponents, cause their awesome like that. But yeah, hope you liked the chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Apologies: I am sooooooooo sorry. I've been sitting on this and not posting it and it's been killing me cause I couldn't get to a computer for the last few weeks. Please forgive me? Just telling you, I'm working on the chapter where Ken-chan and Karin meet if that makes it better. So please read and review and please forgive my absence.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for Hi no Shinzo.

&^&^$%$%#$#%&^&*()_*)(*()_&*(^&%^&$%^$%#$%###^$#$

Dirt and rocks crunched under the pair's feet. A long plane spread out before them, dry, yet not a desert, rocks popping up here and there. It reminded Karin of the shop's basement. The city had faded, only a small ant sized visage rippling in the distance.

"Show me," a commanding voice spoke up.

The young shinigami turned to her teacher with a jerk. The boy was a few feet away, his own zanpakuto still sheathed. He stood calmly, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Karin felt that excited grin fall into place on her small face. She really didn't need anymore prompting.

"Now," Toshiro ordered with narrowed eyes, irritation rolling off him in waves of aggravation. Heat was not the ice captain's thing, and the desert area was pouring out warmth in all directions.

Lips twisting, the young girl shrugged. Might as well give him a show.

With a fluid motion, slender fingers grasped the red hilt of the zanpakuto peeping from behind a thin shoulder. A graceful jerk slid the lethal weapon from it's cage, revealing a long katana. The tenth captain was so intent on the katana, he didn't notice the other weapon fly from the sheath.

Karin's hand shot out, grasping onto the small handle of a single sai. Smoothly spinning the smaller weapon, the girl shifted into a fighting stance drilled into her mind, katana forward, sai angled on the inside, fingers slipping into the places on either side of the sharp blade.

As all this occurred, a calm expression formed on Karin's face, as if she was at total peace, balance achieved. Her lips formed words, Toshiro barely caught them. "Cry, Hi no Shinzo." Bringing her hands together, the two weapons paralleled each other.

Entranced by the process, the young captain watched as his pupil stayed in her stance, eyes drifted shut. And that's when he saw it. A black piece of something drifted in front of his eyes.

Head shooting up, Toshiro watched as more pieces fell from the sky, floating down. The scent of ash and smoke hit the nose. It was ashes, the sky was raining ash. Crying tears of black.

_It's uh, destructive._

Those words floated through the captains head. Turquoise eyes shot back to the ground, that first flake of ash hitting the dirt. A fire roared up from the ground, growing bigger as more fell. Even in a treeless waste land, the world seemed plagued in destruction and horror, flames licking upward joyfully, spreading. Only Yamamoto had a fire element zanpakuto, the damage he could do with a single shikia was chaotic. What was this girl capable of?

"I told you it was destructive," a voice whispered in the young captain's ear. "I'll call her back in a second, but you gotta stay close till then."

Toshiro turned to Karin, eyebrow arched with a cool expression. The girl stood less than a foot away, chest a hair's breadth away. "And why is that Kurosaki?" Curiosity was consuming him. At that moment, his young charge had a lost expression on her face, eyes fixated on the burning inferno around them, hunger reflecting back.

At the question, Karin's face contorted in annoyance. "Karin," she corrected darkly, "And it's because the fire doesn't come near unless I want it to. Even if I did, I wouldn't burn."

For a demonstration, she shot out a slender arm, engulfing it outside of their little cocoon. The white haired captain watched with interest as flames licked around the limb, embracing it yet leaving no trace. Karin reluctantly pulled her arm back in. "Well, I think Hi no Shinzo's had her fun," she commented dryly.

With one smooth motion, Karin pulled her zanpakuto out, putting it into the field of fire. No words were spoken as the flames flowed back into the metal, leaving the sword and sai a glowing red before cooling to their original slate black.

"Very good, Kurosaki," Hitsugaya commended quietly. Such a powerful shikai was...interesting. "I think that will be all for today." Without another word, the young captain disappeared, appearing a few feet away, glancing back to make sure his student was following.

For a second Karin just stared at the charred ground, heat still emanating from it. Wriggling her warm feet, she turned to her teacher, a smirk planted on her face. "Waiting for little old me, short stuff? Aw, so sweet."

Toshiro scowled before turning away and heading back for the Seretei. A giggling raven haired teen followed quickly.

Hiyori looked around, brow furrowed and scowling. A recently beat up Shinji rubbed at the shoe imprint on his face.

*(^&^&%(^&%&$%^&$^%$%#%$#$%#%$^%&&(*&*)(&*&*()&*)&(*)&*

"What is it, buck tooth?" the vizard asked.

Another shoe went flying. "Shut up, I feel a disturbance in the Force." A snort. Another yelp of pain. "Shut it baldy."

$##$%%^%&^&*)(*(&)*&^^%$%#$#$^#$&%%^(^)&(&&*^&%&^%$$

AN:Thank you for all the reviews, please keep them up cause they motivate me. (P.S. I apologize if I forgot any other fire element zanpakuto, but I've never seen any others except for Yamamoto.)

Forbidden-Hanyou, I love your videos, they're awesome and the music rocks:)

kittyxx92: Thanks for reminding me, I haven't read a lot of Yuzu stories but I was thinking of doing something interesting with her and Karin...it'll come up soon and I hope you like it :)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Okay thank yous for the reviews. Now, I'm warning you, this chapter was tough, Ikkaku isn't my strong suit, so please forgive OOCness, thanks.

Oh yeah and question, what should Yachiru call Karin? I suck at nicknames, so please ( if you can) leave a name in a review, tha'd be awesome thanks.

BTW, Forbidden-Hanyou, thanks again, I'll look out for your fanfic, can't wait to read it.

Now, the story must go on and I'm done blathering.

Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing.

%^%^**&*&*(&)&*&^^%#$$#%$^%^&^&*(*_*(&)*^&&%#$##$

Karin let a small groan out, flexing her hand. After Toshiro and her returned, the butt head had put her on paper work for _an hour_. Beside the fact that the amount of information meant cramped writing, apparently the Soul Society had yet to be introduced to pencils. Karin hadn't picked up a brush since third grade.

So, after the torturous writing session, Karin started heading to her second to last class. Although she might just skip science…..

The Eleventh Division compound loomed before the small teen. The sound of shouting coming from inside the gates made most pause. Shrugging, the middle child of Kurosaki Isshin pushed her way through.

On the other side of the large doors was a humongous courtyard, like most of the divisions. But there was one difference from the others. Unlike the Fourth's, with people walking peacefully, or the Ninth, with shinigami running around, trying to make a deadline, the Eleventh's courtyard was full of shingami, the clang of zanpakuto filling the air.

Karin stopped, face deadpan. _This looks like fun_, Hi no Shinzo piped up excitedly.

Ignoring her zanpakuto, the young girl walked through the mini battles, trying to dodge flying swords. After almost being sliced open twice, Karin took her own zanpakuto out, blocking any other attacks. Hi no Shinzo let out woots of pleasure. _Oh, take that, be-otch! Yeah, you're my bitch!_

Breaking out of the forest of men, the ecstatic zanpakuto was sheathed. _Had_ _fun?_ her partner asked.

_You know it!_ the double edged voice responded. _Let's do that again! Except, next time, with a bit more fire, make it prettier…_

_Maybe some archery lessons too_, the shinigami suggested, entering the barracks.

The halls were empty, obviously, most were outside, screaming their heads off. Idiots, screaming just alerted your enemies. Who the hell taught them how to fight? Much less let them near shiny swords?

Quietly walking through the corridors, Karin let herself relax, stride becoming a stroll as she shoved free hands into pockets she cut into the black robes she wore. Hi no Shinzo retreated, watching through her partner's eyes, both ready to just observe. That was the thing about fire, it could be wild and angry, but then calm, turning into crackling embers, dormant until awakened.

So, they just kept walking.

As the duo passed another screen, a loud crash caught their attention. Without another thought, Karin slid the door open, sensing a massive increase in reiatsu. The scene that followed was a bit… confusing.

Obviously a dojo, the room she entered opened on one side to another courtyard, this one a bit more peaceful than the first. All around the training room were unseated shinigami, pressed against the wall, leaving the wood floor empty. Sitting opposite the entrance was the eleventh division captain, hair still spiked, bells intact, eye patch in place. Their eyes locked.

"Get off me!" someone yelled, catching Kurosaki's attention. A second later, a man ran into her line of sight, trying to hit his head with a zanpakuto. A little mass of pink sat atop the bald cranium.

No one seemed to notice Karin's interruption, too intent on the man still dashing around. Some were actually trying to keep a smile from forming.

_These are the people who're gonna train us?_

_Kami, I hope not_, the teen responded, sweat dropping as the man took another swipe at his head…with an _unsheathed_ zanpakuto. Hi no Shinzo cackled as the pink thing dodged, still clinging on, drool sliding down the smooth skin. The hysterical man kept swinging, almost hitting one of his comrades, who in turn coward against the wall.

Deciding it might be time to intervene, Karin stepped forward, using her strategy for shutting Goat Face up. "Hey, Ichigo has porno mags under his bed!" Everyone froze.

_I thought those were that pervy bear thingy's?_

Hi no Shinzo's observation was brushed off with a blasé, _Technicality_.

The bald man turned slowly, zanpakuto held vertical, eyes focused on the intruder in that 'girl-say-what-what' way. The captain just stared at the kid, face clear of emotion, sword laying across his lap.

"What? It shut you up." The middle Kurosaki shrugged nonchalantly, leaning against the doorway with crossed arms.

"It did, Baldy," a little voice came from the pink mass. With a jerk of movement, a small face appeared under the bright color, revealing a little girl wearing shinigami robes, lieutenant's badge strapped to her arm. "You were being very rude, too, ignoring Rin-Rin," added the kid, sliding off her victim and pouting up at him.

"Don't call me that," Baldy exclaimed, fuming. "And she isn't even supposed to be here!" Wild eyes turned to Karin, who smiled back, giving a finger wave. "Why are you here?" he demanded. One Kurosaki was enough for Ikkaku. Too bad there were two others.

"Yamamoto gave me a schedule," she explained. "This is my second to last stop for the day. You're captain was supposed to be sent a notification about it," a beat of silence, "but if he didn't get it I'll just be on my way." Turning on her heel, Karin tried to make her escape (from what she had seen, no one there was worth a good fight.) She'd come back when someone pissed her off.

"Stop," a gruff voice commanded. The girl sucked in a breath, slowly turning back. Was it her or was this just like trying to sneak out of class to go play soccer?

The Eleventh Division Captain stood opposite Karin, backed by the garden courtyard. "I've been waiting for you," he growled, a blood thirsty grin forming. "I wanted to see if you're as good as your brother."

_Oh no he didn't!_

Annoyance flared in Karin. "For your information, I am way better than Ichigo at a lot of things." What was with these people and comparing her to Ichi-nii? It was seriously getting on her nerves.

The bald guy snorted. "I highly doubt that," he muttered.

The young shinigami pushed away from the wall, turning to the man. "Wanna say that to my fist?" she asked, raising a clenched hand. An audible intake of breath could be heard from the surrounding subordinates.

_You have me, you idiot!_ Hi no Shinzo hissed.

_…Shuddup._

Baldy arched a brow. "Are you challenging me, midget?" he sneered. The only response was the sliding sound of an unsheathed zanpakuto. "All right then, let's get this over with." Reaffirming his grip, the third seat grinned.

_You're going down, ya here me? You will be my bitch! I will own you!_

_Oh, hush Hi no Shinzo._

_Na nuh na nuh na nuh!_

_Real mature._

_Just hit him already! Please, please, please, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-_

_All right, all right!_

Redistributing her weight, Karin tensed her muscles, preparing to charge. Right as things were about to get really ugly, a rough voice interrupted. "Stop."

Bald guy blinked in surprise. "Captain?" Head of the Eleventh Division stopping a fight?…..Yeah, no.

Zaraki Kenpachi turned to Karin, grin still in place, his lieutenant waving cheerily from a broad shoulder. "I like you, kid. You're willing to fight, which is exactly what my division's about. But I already got yer training planed out and it wouldn't do any good if you skipped ahead."

The teen stared at the man warily, fighting position firm. "If it's more paper work, I'm leaving," she warned.

Zaraki's smile spread. "No, much better."

"Kenny's so excited about his plan, it's gonna be so much fun," the pink haired child chimed in.

"Shut it, brat," the captain murmured, the girl just stuck out her tongue.

Ikkaku was getting impatient. "Captain, just say it so I can get on with teaching this _girl_ a lesson about respecting her elders."

Grey eyes narrowed. "Yeah, you gotta be older than Yamamoto to have less hair than him," Karin shot back.

"You little-"

"Shut it Ikkaku," Zaraki growled. The third seat grudgingly shut up. "Now, here's what's gonna happen, kid. Everyday you're gonna fight someone from my division, starting at the weakest and working your way up. Once you defeat all unranked shinigami, you'll go for the seated." The captain's mad grin grew wider, more blood thirsty. "When you finish 'em off, you'll face me. Then we'll see if you're anything like your brother."

Zaraki's newest pupil brought her single sai to her chin, tapping it thoughtfully. After considering the proposition, she lowered her weapons, locking eyes with the older man. "Sounds fair enough," Karin agreed, grinning back. "Just know," she added, sliding her sai into the slit in the robes she wore, "I never back down from a fight, and I never give up."

Ikkaku snorted derisively. "So much for not being like Ichigo."

In a flash, Karin stood before the bald man, finger pointing in his face. "You just wait, in no time we'll be facing each other in battle, and you'll wish you were nicer to me, _Baldy_." The shorter shinigami punctuated her statements with jabs to a broad chest.

Third seat Ikkaku didn't like that. "Why you little punk-" he began.

And again he was interrupted. "Now," Karin spoke loudly, turning away from her newest rival. "Who's my first opponent?"

Pink head shooting up, the lieutenant pointed at one man sitting against the wall. He was skinny and had unruly brown hair, matching eyes wide with fright.

Gripping Hi no Shinzo, Karin took a step toward the cowering man. For the next minute the only sound coming from the small dojo was the clang of zanpakuto (once) and gleeful giggles.

_I think I'm gonna like this place._

_Agreed._

^&*^&*(^&%^&%^*$%^*^$#!#$#$%$&^%*^&)*()*(_&_(*&_&*(&*)

Thanks, please review. 


	8. Chapter 8

AN: OKay, here ya go.

Disclaimer: To tired to give one.

%^$#$#^%#$%*^&*(_)()_+()*)(*)(*(&^^%$#$%##$#$%^^&^(*)_+)

2 weeks later

"How are you liking your stay so far?"

Karin's cup clinked on it's saucer, the heavily sugared and creamed tea sloshing around dangerously. Ignoring the possible accident, the girl reached for another cookie. Stuffing it in her face, she responded to the thirteenth captain's question with a small spew of crumbs. "Pretty good."

Ukitake chuckled lightly. "That's good to hear, my dear." The last two words sent a thrill of happiness through Karin.

Captain Ukitake was the only person so far who had respected her wishes of informality, most needing to be reminded after an initial slip up or just plain refusing. The man was also one of the few that showed the young girl respect, actually listening to the words she spoke. For that, he had become someone Karin felt comfortable confiding in, from her homesickness to everyday occurences.

That good feeling was quickly ended by the exact man who caused it.

"Have you heard any news of your friend?" he continued, watching the child across from him carefully.

Karin ducked her head quickly. "Nothing," she gritted out, scowling. Eyes burning with frustration, she raised grey eyes to her companion. "I don't get it, Mai passed over a week before I was brought here. Shouldn't her…. scent be…fresher or something?"

Ukitake felt that familiar ache in his heart.

No, it wasn't for his newest tea companion, it was for her plight. Children were such a precious thing, especially in the Seretei. Being attacked by your own hollowfied mother, then being sent to such a new world was extrememly traumatic. The fact Karin seemed to care so much for the girl, it just gave Ukitake hope. Hope for a future where shinigami aren't power hungry monsters, lovers aren't torn apart, the souls they're supposed to protect in pain, stuck with an aftermath worse than the war itself.

Since that first day, when she had come to him in panic, looking for a place to hide from Mayuri, the thirteenth captain had felt a certain amount of affection for her. But the feelings intensified after he really got to know Ichigo's little sister, the girl eventually letting slip she was looking for a spirit, one of the few burials performed by her in the human world, eyes burning with determination.

To the two-thousand year old man, Kurosaki Karin was strong yet fragile, hiding behind one of the toughest skins he had ever seen. To Ukitake Jushiro, she was a member of his division.

Taking another sip of his tea, the white haired heart throb calmly stared back at a desperate shinigami. "I am sorry, but no. There are so many souls that pass over every second that it's almost impossible to track a single one down." Keen eyes caught tiny fists curling in on themselves, nails carving crescents into callused palms.

Another thing Ukitake had discovered over the past few weeks, was that the girl in front of him hated feeling useless. Understandable, considering she had such great potential yet hadn't done anything productive in days.

"This sucks," Karin muttered, glaring at the table.

Seemingly unable to take sitting any longer, she jumped from her pillow, beginning to pace around the small garden where they were set up. Irritated, the teen let a small kick rip at the grass.

Watching serenely, Ukitake only spoke once his companion had calmed to just standing, eyes on his koi pond. "Karin," he began, "have you ever thought of bringing more people into this? Maybe, another captain who's more capable of actually doing something?" Smiling lightly, the ill man added, "As you already know, I'm too unfit to even exit the barracks, much less search for a spirit thread."

Snorting, the Kurosaki didn't even turn. "The only captain that's taken any liking to me is Zaraki, and you know he can't really help. He and Yachiru'd probably get lost the first foot out of their division." A small chuckle came from the table. "Nope, sorry Shiro, but you seem to be my only friend in this whole place I can trust." Tossing her hair, grey eyes gazed at the sky, scowl firm.

_Stop it, you're turning into Ichigo, _a whiny voice spoke up.

_Am not!_

_Are to._

_Not._

_To._

_No-_

"That's not what I've heard." Karin's head snapped toward the old man, eyebrows furrowed. "From the few reports I've heard, you have done exceptionally well in most of your….classes. You won over several individuals, including Captains Unohana, Hitsugaya, and Sui-Feng. That is very impr-"

"Woah, woah," a loud voice cut off the calmer. "Who were the last two?"

_Yeah, I wanna hear this._

_Hush you._

"Captains Hitusgaya Toshiro and Sui-Feng." A loud snort. "Why is that funny?" Ukitake wondered, perplexed by the hunched over girl, shoulders shaking. "They might not look it, but they're both experienced and-"

Karin cut in quickly, controlling herself. "No, no, that's not it. It's just…well, most of the time I get the feeling they hate me. I'm pretty sure Shorty wants to kill me." A wicked grin spread across her face.

Captain Ukitake chuckled. _Young love._ "Well, they do initially come off like that to most, but let me assure you, they have the utmost respect for you." His face was the picture of earnest.

"Sure," Karin drawled. "And I was nowhere near the 12th Division when all those animals escaped."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Nemu?"

"Said Yachiru had a question about making candy. The kid dragged her to a candy store for two hours."

_Yeah, but they never gave us our chocolate, _Hi no Shinzo complained, pouting.

Nodding his head in satisfaction, the ancient shinigami continued. "Back to my point. In our weekly captains' meetings, Sui-Feng has praised your quick mastery of hand to hand combat and, specifically, shunpo."

"And another piece of the Taskmaster dies," Karin muttered.

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I love Taskmaster!_

_You're thinking of that perverse shojo character from Captain Shunsui's new column._

_Oh._

Giving her a sharp look, the thirteenth captain went on, sipping his tea first. "Unohana says your kido has improved tremendously, healing being the exception."

The raven haired girl shuffled her feet in embarrassment. The Fourth Division captain was a sweet lady and, personally, Karin loved her, but the fact that the young shinigami literally could not heal did not please her teacher. It was almost as if that part of her shinigami transformation had been left out.

Ignoring the lack of a sarcastic comment, the speech kept coming. "Obviously, Zaraki has enjoyed your company immensely, praising your…..fighting spirit. And as for Captain Hitsugaya….well, he might not show it, but I've known him long enough to see that he _is_ impressed." Pausing, a pensive expression settled on Ukitake's face. "Actually, I believe he would be your best option for finding this child."

Almost choking on her own spit, Karin did a double take. "What? Shorty? Are we talking about the same guy? Always scowling and yelling at me?"

_*Cough* Threatened to throw you off a cliff. *Cough*_

"Of course," was the blasé response, brushing off any other comments. "Hitsugaya did grow up in the Rukongai district, he's very attuned to the goings on as well. And, he's very adept at finding particular spirit threads, which is an extremely hard task in itself." The old man poured himself another cup.

A scowl formed on his companion's face. "Yeah, but he can also be a total jerk. He got angry at me today because I accidentally got his prissy little jacket dirty. Really!" The pacing began. "I was just doing what he said and he was stupid enough to step out of the protective circle! I told him he'd burn but did he listen? No!"

Eventually, the rant dissolved into mutters as the fiery shinigami kept walking back and forth, occasionally waving her hands, scowling. "Now, I might make jokes and stuff, but he is really starting to get to my last nerve." A pause. "Oh, be quiet Hi no, you're no help eith- Hey! That was uncalled for!"

Ukitake just sipped his tea. Karin would eventually realize she needed Toshiro's help, and when she did, Rangiku would be a little less richer. 


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Sorry this took awhile, trying to not procrastinate with future chapters and what not. But the newest Bleach chapter motivated me. Seriosuly, have you seen it! I had a squee fangirl moment when i saw all the shinigami and Rukia come to help Ichigo. (I just hope Tite Kubo take the chance to introduce Karin and Toshiro, if he doesn't, i'm so writing a fanfic for that.)

Okay, so fangirl babble over, this chapter is not really actiony or anything, but the next one will be, probably. Cause well, Karin has tah find Mai cause that's her motivation for this arc.

But yeah, hope you all like, thanks for the reviews. Oh, and Forbidden-Hanyou, I love your HitsuKarin fic, so good, I can tell Yoruichi's gonna have fun.X) Keep up the good work!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, sigh.

#$$^%^&&(*)P*()*)_&*^&^&$%#$#!##%$&%&^*(&()*)(*&*^&%

Why was she doing this? Really, was she _this_ desperate?

_Yes, you are._

_He'll say no_, Karin pointed out darkly. Beside not getting off on the right foot with Toshiro, the two hadn't had a pleasant conversation…well, ever. It was highly unlikely he'd just agree to help find some random spirit without any form of compensation. And the young Kurosaki refused to pay that white haired bastard one cent…

_Think about Mai_, Hi no Shinzo cut in, quickly, before a full on rant about the boy began.

That paused the young woman. Mai was the priority in all this, not Karin's pride. And the zanpakuto spirit knew that. Her partner would do anything for that little girl, even beg the midget captain for help.

"Dammit," Karin muttered, conceding.

So, sucking in a breath, the middle child of Isshin and Masaki put on her game face, firm and unbreakable. Clenching her fists, she pushed the door open, ignoring the usual courtesy of knocking. Thinking back, no one in the Kurosaki family knocked, they either yelled or threw something. Except for Yuzu, but she usually brought cookies.

"Kurosaki." A sharp voice cut through the air, warning clear.

Hearing that, most would squeak apologies and run. Well, except for Matsumoto, who would mutter drunkinly about her taicho needing to 'get some', promptly passing out on the floor.

But, that was beside the point. Right then wasn't exactly a good time to speak to Captain Hitsugaya. He'd finally found the mound of papers stuffed under his couch. Miraculously, Rangiku was missing, as well.

Scowling, Karin shut the door. "Yes, _Shiro_?" Steam almost shot out of the boy's ears.

_Screwing yourself over? Bravo, that takes real skill_. A certain amount of snark bled into the double edged voice.

_Whatever_, was the grumbled response. The girl was still a teen, after all.

_Oh! Now who's being immature?_

Ignoring Hi no Shinzo, the young shinigami turned back to her 'superior'. She regretted that quickly.

Captain Hitsugaya was clenching and unclenching a fist, trying to calm himself. _That_ girl had been in his office for all of ten seconds, and already had the Ice Shinigami's blood boiling. "What do you want, Kurosaki?" he finally gritted out, expression cool.

A grey eye twitched.

_Don't do anything stu-_

Scowling deeper, the young woman glared. "Well, for one, I'm _Karin_, not Kurosaki, _Shorty_."

_-pid…Too late._

"Don't call me that!" Toshiro exploded. "Show some respect for once!" Hands slammed down on the hard wood of his desk, Captain Hitsugaya having jumped from his seat heatedly.

The initial charge in the air grew as Karin felt her short fuse light. "Why should I?" she demanded, voice rising, as did the temperature. Soon, it would be a sauna.

"Because, I'm a taicho, dammit!" Fluctuating, the warmth began to dissipate, replaced by freezing air, cold enough to see one's breath. "And you are my subordinate!"

_This your chance!_

"So, as a captain, it's your responsibility to help those under you, right?" Karin yelled back, expression still one of anger.

"Of course!" Toshiro snapped.

"Would you help me find someone?"

Captain Hitsugaya didn't hesitate. "Of course!" Silence. Breathing hard, turquoise eyes bored into grey.

A wide grin spread across the younger shinigami's face. "Okay, I'll give you the details tomorrow." Still smiling cheerfully, the Kurosaki made her way to the exit, pausing with a hand hovering over the brass handle. "Thanks, Shorty," Karin threw over a shoulder, making a quick escape.

_Guess all those arguements with Ichigo finally helped_, a satisfied girl thought, stretching outside the Captain of the Tenth Divison's office. Turning on her heel, robes fluttering, the young woman headed toward the Eleventh Division, a spring in her step.

_Congratulations, now, can we go beat up the ninth seat?_

A low chuckle escaped Karin's throat. _That sounds good. _An evil gleam in her eyes, the pair dissappeard, shunpoing away silently. The Mistress of Flash would be proud.

Neither noticed a flash of orange and black.

#!#$$#$%^&^&*&()*)(()_*(&*(^&%^#$#!$%^%^&^&*^*(&()_

A white haired captain stood behind his desk, a pile of paperwork still waiting to be done, blinking. Shaking his head, the Captain of Squad Ten, Hitsugaya Toshiro, child protégé, plopped into his hard chair with a furrowed brow of confusion.

"What just happened?" he wondered aloud, baffled. Did he just agreed to assist Kurosaki? Kurosaki Karin, the one who burned his best haori? What was going on? Ignoring the work awaiting him, the young man tried to fit puzzle pieces together.

He gave up once a belated headache set in.

Outside the office, a busty, strawberry blond pressed an ear to the door. Taking a swig of sake, she frowned. "Ukitake," she muttered grumpily, "You win this round."

"Rangiku?" A furious voice yelled from the room.

"Shit." 


	10. Chapter 10

AN: I am so sorry. I've been really busy lately and every time i tried to write, it was crap. In exchange for your forgiveness i will give you a chapter, that good? Okay, here you go...

fan girl 666: thank you!

Every shadow has its twin: Gracias and tadah!

Disclaimer: Nom nom nom...yeah, that was reality nomming any of my hopes of working on Bleach.

((*(^&&^%&%$^$%$#!#$#$%&*&P()*()&%^%$%#!#$^&%^&*^*(

Life passes so quickly. One moment you're crying in a crib, the next, laughing with friends in hallways of knowledge. For Karin, it seemed even faster.

A few weeks ago, she was a regular teen. Just starting high school with Yuzu. Dealing with an AWOL brother and insane father. Oh, and let's not forget those damn skirts perverts at school liked to look up. Of course, those perverts were quickly hospitalized. I wonder if their faces are back to normal yet?

_Who cares?_ An annoyed voice hissed. _Please focus. If we become the laughing stock of the Eleventh, I'm gonna-_

Karin rolled her eyes, ignoring her zanpakuto's irritable narrative. Zeroing in on her opponent, she assessed the severity of this situation.

A mad grin of glee greeted a roving gaze. That, and a blinding glare from a bare head. Did he shine it in the morning or something? If so, what type of wax? So…shiny, it'd probably distract a squirrel…

_Wouldn't put it past the bastards…_Hi no Shinzo grumbled. _Stupid butt head is more interested in sleeping, though…_

The young shinigami smirked. It was a bit refreshing knowing another zanpakuto could get under her partner's skin. Apparently, Hozukimaru was a bit of a lazy ass, and, well… Hi no didn't like him, let's just leave it at that.

A loud, exasperated sigh cut through the quiet courtyard, dust still settling from the last collision. "Can you two get this over with? It's not beautiful to fight in such a public setting, gorgeous days like this shouldn't be marred wit-."

"Shut it, Feathers," someone growled. "You'll wake up Yachiru with your whining."

Yumichika pouted. Poor man was still sore from his own defeat at the hands of the small Kurosaki. The fifth seat might be more enamored with looks, but even he could have his pride hurt. Being downed in five minutes by such an opponent was disgraceful. Really, who would have thought such a tiny girl could pack such a wallop? Not Aysegawa, obviously. Karin hadn't even had to unsheathe her shikai. Embarrassing. Also, his beautiful hair was still a bit singed, making the inky locks look uneven. That bitch…

"Yeah, shut it feathers!" A voice shouted from the gathered crowd, standing in a small ring around the Eleventh Division barracks. Several jeers followed, only paused when the little lieutenant shifted. As quick as they spread, words were silenced. No one wanted to wake a cranky vice captain, especially the pinkette one.

Zaraki Kenpachi nodded in satisfaction. The man was so proud his little girl could inspire so much fear in their subordinates. "Good, now get your asses in gear and someone draw first blood," a booming voice commanded, the last part grumbled out.

Yamamoto had ordered certain limits on the newest shinigami's training. Even the old man didn't want to deal with three angry Kurosakis.

Feathers sighed.

Karin turned back to her opponent. Madarame was still grinning maniacally. Not. Comforting.

_Kami, they're not even worth the sweat!_ Hi no Shinzo whined. _It's just first blood, let's hit 'em a few more times, then make this place a shooting range. Huh? Whattaya say?_

_…That's probably the smartest thing you've ever said._

_Thank yo- Hey!_

Smirking, grey eyes locked with brown, tuning out the mental rant going on in her head.

Ikkaku's grin widened, seeing that familiar determination of finality lighting in the girl's eyes. He'd seen it three times this week, each time quickly snuffed out by quick attacks from himself. You'd think Ichigo's sister would be a bit more patient than her brother, but no, she just kept coming back for more. Oh well, Ikakku'd just have to give her what she wanted.

Shrugging, the man raised his spear-like zanpakuto. "You ready for this, princess?" he called across the arena.

The young woman just gave a cocky grin, reaffirming her grip and stance.

Third seat Madarame Ikkaku charged, on offense yet again. A quick flash step (because after their first match, he knew the midget Kurosaki really was the Goddess of Flash's little protégé) and he was barely a foot away from the girl. She was still rooted to the spot.

Right as the spear came down, a blur shot through the air. Just as he predicted, the kid was gone in a flash of black. No one had even seen her take a step. That strategy had destroyed hundreds of Eleventh Division combatants, but even Karin knew she was in higher ranks, with smarter fighters who didn't give up and have a unpredictable strategies. Kinda sucks.

Turning quickly, 'Baldy' spotted the Kurosaki perched atop a wall. It was all the way on the other side of their courtyard. Right where Ikkaku had just been.

"Stop playing cat and mouse, Kurosaki! Dammit!" Seriously, it could get really annoying. The Eleventh Division had actually witnessed one match where the girl made a man run back and forth about a hundred times. Now, that was a bit funny, but when each of them experienced it, the hilarity vanished.

Karin smirked. Sitting on her wall, the young woman swung tiny legs, like a child. Yachiru and her had sat up there for hours, once, watching as Yumichika tried to coax the lieutenant down for her bath. They'd only come down when Kenpachi arrived with a basket of candy. The man knew them too well.

_Only cause you're a sucker for chocolate pokey…_

_If I remember correctly, you were the one who made me steal some caramel for you._

_Hey!_ Hi no exclaimed. _You never feed me!_

A pause. _Zanpakutos don't need to be fed, they're spirits. You feed off my spiritual pressure…moocher._

_…Can we just torch this guy?_

_No, you're a moocher!_

_I don't wanna talk about this anymore!_

_Moo-_

_I said good day!_

The smallest of smiles fell over Karin's face. _Alright, alright, let's do this thing. You ready?_

_…No, I have to go to the bathroom first? What do you think?_ A double edged voice drawled sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes, the Kurosaki tuned back into her surroundings. It had only been a few seconds, Ikkaku still standing there, head tilted back, waiting for a response. His patience was beginning to wear thin, though, obvious by the way fingers were jittering over his spear's hilt.

Karin grinned down. "Hey, Cueball, what type of wax do you use for your head in the morning? My sister uses the same for our floors, I think."

Ace in the hole.

Anger flared in third seat's eyes. "You little brat!" he yelled, taking a dangerous step forward.

But, before black could blur and a spear slam down, the little imp disappeared. Ikkaku growled in exasperation, already knowing where the midget had gone. Spinning, his eyes narrowed onto the petite figure on the opposite wall. Ignoring jeers from the peanut gallery, the man charged.

Heart pounding, Karin quickly knelt on the thick stone. _Okay, gotta move fast._ Madarame was already half way there, obviously deeming flash step unnecessary for his flighty opponent. It was how he got her the last few times, catching the younger shinigami off guard by putting on disjointed bursts of speed and erratic attacks.

Those first battles had taught her much. Tight guard and unpredictability were the main ideas Ikkaku seemed to be drilling his opponent with. Karin would probably have to thank him some day. Probably when one of them was dieing, she didn't think her pride could take dealing with years of jokes and jibes about it.

Another yell ripped through the air as Ikkaku neared the opposite wall.

Karin stuck her left arm out, katana poised, straight up while her left held the single sai of her zanpakuto. The center blade of the smaller weapon brushed the midpoint of the larger blade, creating a side ways T shape.

All this was done in barely a millisecond, almost as if Karin had applied flash step to her hands.

Back straight, the young woman quickly breathed. Once, twice, three times. After the third breath, she quickly whispered a single phrase. "Hi no Shinzo, Scream."

Kenpachi's brow rose.

Atop the wall, a giant mass of spiritual pressure expanded, pulsing. Tightly caged reiatsu set free, loose tendrils reaching out. Like lighter fluid, a bonfire was lit. With a burst of heat, an inferno spread from the tip of Hi no Shinzo's sai, encasing the katana and their partner. Soon, the small Kurosaki was ablaze, inky hair twisting in dancing flames.

Ikkaku grinned, still charging. "Bring it, midget!" he called up, spear at the ready.

Karin returned the expression, both pumped with the adrenaline at the prospect of it all. "Oh, don't worry, I will, Cueball!"

Madarame let out a growl, speeding up. He was only a couple yards from the wall, now.

Shifting her position, Karin pulled her left arm back smoothly. Strings of fire followed the sai, creating an drawn bow of heat. String tense, the girl shifted once again. Using enhanced soccer muscles, she pushed off from the wall, shooting into the air. That was unexpected, as was her quick combination of mid air flash step. Lesson learned.

In the blink of an eye, the girl was behind Ikkaku once more. But this time, she didn't even wait for him to turn.

With narrowed eyes, Karin let her projectile loose. The single, flaming sai flew through the air at blinding speed. As it passed the katana, something akin to an explosion occurred. With a burst of heat, the firey mass grew larger, becoming gigantic in scale.

Ikkaku only turned in time to see what looked like a giant beast, twisting as elegant wings burst out, blotting out the sun. The shinigami was confronted with it's full visage. Slowly, Hozukimaru was lowered. It was a dragon. A dragon made of flame. Something only legends and myths spoke of. A creature of destruction, chaos, rebirth. So… beautiful…

That's when Madarame's world crumbled away. Red and blue licked everywhere, roars filling his ears, screams burning sweaty pores, pain pulsing like a heart, sadness dripping down his throat. Those screams…they were so…inhuman. They made him want to hunch over and cover his poor ears.

An inferno of nothing almost overwhelmed the warrior as something pierced his skin, blood trickling through black fabric. _Well, damn, the midget finally drew first blood. Maybe she really is Kurosaki's._

Quick as it began, the chaos melted away.

"I win, surprised, Baldy?" Karin stood before her opponent, katana at his neck, smirk in place.

Ikkaku shoved the weapon away, standing up from his position on the ground. Apparently, that last attack had more blast than he thought. Reaching out a hand, the shinigami let fingers brush his arm. A light throb came from the fresh wound created on finely toned biceps. Crap.

Glowering at the second Kurosaki to defeat him, Madarame scowled at her pleased expression. "Shut it, I want a rematch-!" Something solid slammed into the singed man.

"Stop being such a sorry loser, Baldy!" A newly awakened Yachiru exclaimed, little arms strangling her favorite subordinate. "Leave Rin-rin alone, she won fair and square! Right, Kenny?" Wide eyes turned to a single one.

Kenpachi nodded, standing in front of his rowdy division. Apparently, the whole Eleventh had bets riding on this match…some were not very happy while others hooted in glee. Suffice to say, a mass fight broke out. "Brats right," he growled. "Mini Kurosaki beat you, Ikkaku. It just took a few tries."

Karin scowled.

"Anyways," Zaraki continued. "Now she just has to defeat Yachiru, then it's me and her. Mano y mano." A blood thirsty smile spread across the captain's face.

The young woman paled slightly, she was in deep shit. "Oh yeah, that match…" Matsumoto better have been lying about all that stuff. Kenpachi didn't really take his opponents eyes for trophies? Right? Right?

Karin felt a small hand take hers. Turning her grey eyes to the ground, she spotted a pink head.

"Don't worry," Yachiru consoled, patting her friend's hand. "I'll go easy on you."

The Kurosaki sweat dropped. Ikkaku cackled. And Yumichika, well, he was extremely distressed over his partner's burnt to a crisp uniform and sooty head. He'd just gotten the man to wax yesterday, dammit.

%^&%&^&*&)*_)&*^&%#$!#!$#$^%*((_+)(_()*(^&^$^%#$%$!#$%

Thank you for reading, I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. Hint: it'll continue the adventures of Toshiro and Karin, I just wanted to get this out of the way, her training was nagging me.

R&R if you like, thanks!


End file.
